# Playboy has ranked every Trek episode. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2014, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211 "2014-12-14T16:25:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/21 "2014-12-15T01:34:59Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > In The Pale Moonlight is #54 ☹ > > My list would look more like yours, since I thought DS9 was the best of the series, but no accounting for taste. It’s a little crazy that “Arena” is in the top ten. I think he goes a tad overboard on the TOS love. “Mirror, Mirror” being in the top ten is kind of surprising, though it is top-notch. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/22 "2014-12-15T01:37:46Z")
Nitpick: “Balance of Terror” was based on _ **The Enemy Below** _ with Robert Mitchum and Kurt Jurgens, not _ **Run Silent, Run Deep** _ with Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/23 "2014-12-15T03:09:18Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Fifty years ago it was never broadcast. Nowadays, I challenge you to find a Trek watcher who hasn’t seen it. :dubious: I wonder if it has ever been officially broadcast. Roddenberry showed it when he went around speaking at colleges in the mid-70s (that and the blooper reel) Anyhow, this list represents an amazing amount of work. (I’ve only read the bottom 200 and the top 100 so far.) Doomsday Machine is too far down for me (especially the remastered version) but this guy needs a Federation Medal for even watching all of them. (The Animated series is included also, btw.) Oh, and the ads on the page are reasonably SFW. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/24 "2014-12-15T03:21:30Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I wonder if it has ever been officially broadcast. Roddenberry showed it when he went around speaking at colleges in the mid-70s (that and the blooper reel). I saw it then (he only had a B&W print of it; the original color negatives were at that time presumed lost), and I’m sure I’ve seen it since (in color), so it must have been broadcast at some point, probably on Sy-Fy or Space. (Actually, Roddenberry spoke in St Paul in February of '86, IIRC; he dropped hints then that _ **Star Trek** _ was going to come back “in one form or another.”) ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/25 "2014-12-15T03:42:23Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I do not for a second believe that there are 421 episodes of Star Trek worse than “Spock’s Brain”, even if you consider it on a kitsch level. Admittedly, I stopped watching Voyager after the first season, so maybe it’s possible. Four whole seasons of TNG, random episodes throughout all the other series…yes, there are a WHOLE LOT of episodes worse than Spock’s Brain, which isn’t even the worst of TOS (Turnabout Intruder and The Omega Glory are both far worse, just off the top of my head - TOG getting bonus shit points for wasting a great premise by pairing it with a terrible and, frankly, offensive secondary premise.)…it’s actually quite entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/26 "2014-12-15T03:49:32Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Nitpick: “Balance of Terror” was based on _ **The Enemy Below** _ with Robert Mitchum and Kurt Jurgens, not _ **Run Silent, Run Deep** _ with Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster. I tried to watch _Run Silent, Run Deep_ a while back, but it’s more of a soap opera than a sub movie. “Balance of Terror” was a sub movie, as well as being _The Enemy Below Goes to Outer Space._ ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/27 "2014-12-15T04:28:04Z")
What, no “I, Borg” in the top 10, let alone the top 100? Psh. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/28 "2014-12-15T04:45:08Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I wonder if it has ever been officially broadcast. Roddenberry showed it when he went around speaking at colleges in the mid-70s (that and the blooper reel) Yup, it was first broadcast on November 27, 1988 as part of a _Star Trek_ retrospective hosted by Patrick Stewart. I believe it was syndicated, as _ST:TNG_ was originally run in first-run syndication. It was also broadcast on UPN in 1996 as part of the promotion for _ST:First Contact_. In fact, I’ve only seen it on TV. I don’t have it on home video. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/29 "2014-12-15T04:50:11Z")
second from the bottom: 1. “And the Children Shall Lead,” The Original Series, Season 3 So far, I like this list. This is the first Star Trek episode I watched, when I was about 10, and I disliked it so much it was years before I saw another episode. There are lots of great episodes. This isn’t one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/30 "2014-12-15T04:52:04Z")
Here are some of the misses: 1. “Spectre of the Gun,” The Original Series, Season 3 “The Enterprise has to reenact the Gunfight at the OK Corral. On the world’s flimsiest set. Spock gives everyone a group mind-meld, which is a little progressive, I suppose” WHAT? That ep is considered to be one of the best of season 3. Very Twilight Zonish. 1. “Valiant,” Deep Space Nine, Season 6 2. “Jetrel,” Voyager, Season 1 “Neelix, the nicest guy in the galaxy, has to deal with a new guy on the ship — the scientist whose superweapon was used (by others, granted) to kill his family. What’s a Talaxian to do?” Pssh. A very decent episode. 1. “The Sound of Her Voice,” Deep Space Nine, Season 6 “The Defiant chats with a stranded captain, but time dilation is really in charge here. A TNG retread on DS9 but still a neat idea.” That’s insanely low. That’s #150 at worst. 1. “Death Wish,” Voyager, Season 2 “Hey, it’s Q! And Janeway isn’t down on her knees begging him to snap his fingers and send them home? Instead she’s arguing about the right-to-die in a mock trial. Sometimes Janeway misses the point” OKAY we’re done here. That’s a fantastic episode. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/31 "2014-12-15T05:24:32Z")
I only look at _Playboy_ for the photos. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/32 "2014-12-15T05:41:13Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > 1. “Death Wish,” Voyager, Season 2 > > “Hey, it’s Q! And Janeway isn’t down on her knees begging him to snap his fingers and send them home? Instead she’s arguing about the right-to-die in a mock trial. Sometimes Janeway misses the point” > > OKAY we’re done here. That’s a fantastic episode. Thanks for that. I could tolerate it being low in the list (some people hate the idea that the Q would treat Starfleet as equals in any sense), but the complaint is facile. Did the author understand the character of Q at all? He’s not some magical genie. You cannot get him to do what you want. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/33 "2014-12-15T17:31:10Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > second from the bottom: > > 1. “And the Children Shall Lead,” The Original Series, Season 3 > > So far, I like this list. This is the first Star Trek episode I watched, when I was about 10, and I disliked it so much it was years before I saw another episode. There are lots of great episodes. This isn’t one of them. A question not quite worthy of a separate thread, but anyway: What was the 1st Trek episode that you ever watched? Mine was Changeling, 1973, when I was in New Hampshire for my grandfather’s funeral. And I was instantly hooked. ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/34 "2014-12-15T18:10:06Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Thanks for that. I could tolerate it being low in the list (some people hate the idea that the Q would treat Starfleet as equals in any sense), but the complaint is facile. Did the author understand the character of Q at all? He’s not some magical genie. You cannot get him to do what you want. I love “Death Wish,” but I also wondered by Janeway didn’t try harder to get Q to send them home (a question that got harder to answer in every other episode that Q showed up on Voyager asking for a favor), especially since Q ended up reconnecting with his rebellious side and helping Quinn commit suicide. Sending Voyager back home wouldn’t have been noticed by the Continuum after that, and it would have taken Q literally zero effort: even the finger snap is just theatrics. As to the list, I disagree with a lot of the choices, but it is impressive and the author is obviously quite knowledgable. The biggest disagreement I have is his strange abhorrence of Data’s Sherlock Holmes obsession and the associated episodes. I love those. But then I’m a big Sherlockian too. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/35 "2014-12-15T18:26:38Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > A question not quite worthy of a separate thread, but anyway: > > What was the 1st Trek episode that you ever watched? “The Doomsday Machine,” Christmas Day 1969. And yeah, I was hooked too. My favorite episodes have always been Gene Coon ones. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/36 "2014-12-15T18:29:39Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > A question not quite worthy of a separate thread, but anyway: > > What was the 1st Trek episode that you ever watched? > > Mine was Changeling, 1973, when I was in New Hampshire for my grandfather’s funeral. And I was instantly hooked. “Devil in the Dark” - I don’t recall the year - but I was young, it was dark - and that was good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/37 "2014-12-15T18:44:11Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > A question not quite worthy of a separate thread, but anyway: > > What was the 1st Trek episode that you ever watched? > > Mine was Changeling, 1973, when I was in New Hampshire for my grandfather’s funeral. And I was instantly hooked. “The Lights of Zetar”, 1969. (In color!) ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/38 "2014-12-15T18:54:53Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > second from the bottom: > > 1. “And the Children Shall Lead,” The Original Series, Season 3 Arguably, that makes it the lowest-ranked actual episode – the very bottom spot is the “Shades of Grey” TNG clip show. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/39 "2014-12-15T18:55:12Z")
The first episode I ever saw was back in highschool: Yesterday’s Enterprise, at a (new group of) friend’s house, possibly (probably) during its first airing. I had no idea what I was watching, but I loved it. ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211/40 "2014-12-15T19:00:29Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I don’t get it. How could they exclude “The Cage,” the one that basically set the pattern for everything to come? :dubious: 😕 :mad: I think the logic is that, whether or not the episode eventually actually aired, it is not officially a part of any series. Technically, it’s just a pilot that the network didn’t pick up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-has-ranked-every-trek-episode/707211.md?page=3)